4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[-sarahjayne]

Sorry I know I must be driving you all nuts asking so many questions, but ive never had hens before and its all so worrying at the moment.

 

Yesterday i posted about my ginger hen Rhonda having the sniffles, well today she is absolotuley fine and pottering around as usual. This morning i noticed that Lottie's crop area was very big and obviously not emptied. This is causing her some distress and she's put herself in the house on her own at the moment while the other chooks scratch around outside, she's also got rhonda's cold now and ive heard her sneeze once or twice. She doesnt look very comfortable and I'm really worried

 

what can i do to help?

 

Sorry for asking so many questions, i worry far too much.

[moochoo]

I've found feeding her some live maggots very effective for unblocking a crop. Get a quarter pint from the fishing tackle shop and let her eat them.

You could also syringe some olive oil down her beak and massage the crop area to help break up the blockage.

Let's hope she feels better soon.

[sandyhas3chucks]

will she drink?

A teaspoon of sugar in some luke warm water might encourage her.

Is the crop hard/solid or squishy?

Did you see it on first getting up, or could she have eaten before that?

Sometimes my girls aren't fully empty, when they need to lay early in the day, it seems to sort itself out then.

Maggots are great. Def give them a go!!

[clucky h]

If Lottie's crop is still full, and feels hard and not beany, tomorrow morning, then I agree with Moochoo's advice.

 

My Audrey had an impacted crop and we syringed a little olive oil down her throat followed by a massage of the crop to loosen up the insides; we did this four times a day. And fed her lots of maggots. And gave her no treats and no chance to free range. She recovered in three days, although she was grumpy as hell.

 

Meanwhile I crawled around the lawn where they range with scissors, cutting short any long blades, I guess I'm a fellow-worrier, -sarahjayne.

 

Hope Lottie feels better soon.

[-sarahjayne]

It took her two days to empty her crop.. unsusual but she is better now.

thanks for all ur help